Change In Christian Co-Ops: Now I Can Join!

Even before the whole health insurance kerfuffle that our honored king lit 'twixt our toes, I had considered a Christian health co-op as a viable and even holier alternative to regular medical insurance. Insurance used to be a crock, and an inflater of costs. Now it's a rip-off.

But still, even in the face of benevolent penalties from our sweet state, I have hesitated to pull the trigger and jump on the bandwagon of Christians helping one another cover medical costs and neatly cover their butts from interference. (No one likes to have their butts interfered with.)

I have never made the jump because I resent and despise the rules these organizations, as truly bodacious as they are, have had concerning alcohol and tobacco. A few years ago several of them made accommodations for infrequent wine-bibbers. More recently, a few have made allowances for rare celebratory cigars, you know, like at a wedding or your son's graduation. But most still prohibit tobacco unequivocally. I have a few friends who fudge on that rule a bit, abiding more by the letter than the spirit. For where law abounds, there loopholes abound. But I wouldn't do that. So I couldn't join a Christian health co-op.

UNTIL NOW!

Now, thanks to an article I read at Fox News, I will be able to join one of these co-ops with a clean conscience: Christian alternative to ObamaCare growing fast as deadline nears. From the article:

The nation's three largest ministries boast more than 242,000 members, spanning all 50 states, who agree to live so-called biblical lifestyles -- meaning regular church attendance; no drugs, tobacco, or sex outside of marriage; and limited alcohol consumption.

The no sex outside of marriage part is easy. But apparently there has been a sea-change in how these organizations do things. According to this article, as long as I do drugs and tobacco within the sacred confines of marriage, we're good to go.

Well, I so promise. Can't wait to be part of a common Christian health life. And maybe with this new ammunition I can finally convince Kimberly to smoke a cigar with me.